4 Days Sri Lanka Train Journey
What are the cities to explore in the 4 days, Sri Lanka Train Journey?
- Colombo
- Kandy
- Nuwara Eliya
- Ella
How do we travel to the cities
We have already taken it into our consideration, that’s why a dedicated vehicle for your trip always behind you. Whenever you need to use road transport Eg city tours, travelling from railway station to hotel, travelling to sites, we have arranged an air-conditioned modern vehicle for your trip. If you have luggage, you can also put it in the vehicle and we will look after on your valuables.Is there a local guide on this trip
Yes! you will be accompanied by a local guide from the start of the trip. He will be assisting you in the railway stations, visiting tourist attractions, and whenever you need the assistance of local staff.The 4 days Sri Lanka rail journey in a nutshell
- Day 1 – Rail journey from Colombo to Kandy and exploring Kandy.
- Day 2 – the Train journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya and visit the tourist attraction in Nuwara Eliya.
- Day 3 – the Train journey from Nuwara Eliya to Ella and visiting tourist attractions.
- Day 4 – the return journey to Colombo via Kitulaga by car or van
Sri Lanka upcountry train trip
The upcountry Sri Lanka train journey (train journey from Nuwara Eliya to Ella) is so popular, a large number of traveller prefer to include it to their tour package. In fact, the train trip from Nuwara Eliya to Ella considered being the most scenic part of Sri Lankan upcountry rail journey.The Sri Lanka train journey of upcountry can be easily added to most Sri Lanka tour itineraries, due to the fact that most tour itineraries of Sri Lanka include Yala national park as well as Nuwara Eliya. Ella is conveniently located between Nuwara Eliya and Yala, therefore, the Sri Lanka train journey from Nuwara Eliya to Ella can be easily integrated into the tour packages.
If you also travelling to Nuwara Eliya to Ella and wish to take the train journey from Nuwara Eliya to Ella, you can get the train from Nuwara Eliya railway station, which also called Nanu Oya railway station. Nanu Oya railway station is about 10 km away from the city centre on Nuwara Eliya- Horton plains the main road.
Sri Lanka 4 days train tour
The below Sri Lanka train journey is a tour that only use the train as the main form of transport. The tour lasts 4 days and you will travel mainly by train during the tour.This is one of the tour programs organized by Seerendipity tours and you cannot find this type of tour packages with any other tour operators in the country. However, this Sri Lanka train trip can be customized whatever the way you prefer, the program can be shortened and reduce the time that you spend on the train while combining a part of the Sri Lanka train journey with road transport.
Most travellers prefer to combine road travel with the Sri Lanka train journey and making road transport main medium of travel. And they curtail the Sri Lanka train journey only for a couple of hours by choosing the most scenic part of the rail track.
However, this comfortable rail journey lasts 4 days which includes “Podimenike express” train plus several excursions to Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Ella and Kandy with its most sacred Buddhist temple (Tooth relic temple), where the left eye tooth of Buddha rests. Prices start from USD 360pp. Please write to us at admin@seerendipitytours.com for more information. Click here for more info on this Sri Lanka tour by Rail.
Day 1- Sri Lanka train journey
The train journey from Colombo to Kandy is one of the most popular One-day train trips in Sri Lanka. A large number of foreign, as well as local travellers, undertake this ride. We have noted a large number of foreign travellers take this Sri Lanka train journey, which lasts around 2 hours 30 minutes. It is one of the best options to reach Kandy from Colombo. This train trip from Kandy to Colombo and vice-a-versa is a very convenient, cheap and comfortable.Fort railway station the hub of Sri Lankan railway network
This is the first leg of this 4 days Sri Lanka train trip, starts in Colombo at the Fort railway station, the fort railway station is the hub of Sri Lankan railway network.You arrive at the Fort railway station in early hours to take the upcountry express train, where you feel that considerable portion of 3.7 million people, who travel daily on trains have decided to take the train.
Colombo to Kandy by express train
The guests who take this tour package board the express train, which bound to Kandy from Fort railway station at 7.00 AM. It is a 2 hours 30 minutes journey and AC passenger compartment is comfortable and includes free WIFI and freshly brewed warming up cups of Ceylon tea of Coffee.Usually, this express train arrives at the destination on time (9.35 AM), but there can be instances that you have to plan a few hours more on the rail journey. Today’s journey will take place through busy urban areas and towards the latter part of the journey the passengers encounter mountainous area with a considerable green cover.
What to see in Kandy?
- Tooth relic temple
- Kandyan cultural show
- Udawattekele forest reserve
- Kandy lake
- Tea museum
- Kandy museum
- Royal botanical garden
- Kandy market and shopping area
Kandy is one of the most scenic towns of Sri Lanka, which harbours many interesting places such as Tooth relic temple, Royal botanical garden, Colorful market, cultural shows, shopping and entertainments. The city has a fascinating blend of old fashioned Sri Lankan buildings, colonial mansions and modern architectural high-rise constructions.
One striking fact about Kandy is its inheritance of extended green cover, which surrounded the city from all directions. Kandy lies 500 meters above sea level and has a mild climate with day time temperature of 27°c and night temperature dipping up to 21 °c.
Tooth relic temple of Kandy
The guests usually visit the tooth relic temple during the evening ceremony, which starts at 6.30 PM. Tooth relic temple had been the living quarters of the Kandyan king and later it was converted to a Buddhist temple with the arrival of left eye tooth of Buddha. The building is a typical Sri Lankan design, all gables and turrets built out of local wood. The building of the present temple was built by King Vimaladharmasooriya 1st in 1592 AD.Daily a large number of local and foreign travellers visit the temple and the majority of the visitors are impressed by the architectural splendour achieved by the ancient craftsmen. The visitors are allowed to visit part of the temple complex including the wooden panelled main shrine room, audience hall, and the museum where the visitors can witness a large collection of statues and paintings.
Day 2- Sri Lanka train journey -Kandy to Nuwara Eliya
The day 2 of 4 days rail trip starts with the most scenic rail journey in the world, from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya. A train travels Sri Lanka from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya and Ella is considered being one of the most scenic rail journeys in the world.History of railway track from Kandy to Ella
The railway track between Kandy and Ella was built by the British administration in early 18s, in order to provide an efficient transport system for the British planters. This upcountry railway track built by the British government (1796 to 1948) in order to transport coffee/tea produced by British planters.Same times they used rail transport to transport passengers, labour, machinery, manure, rice and foodstuff, etc to Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. Other than the cargo transport, there had been a huge demand for passenger transport between Colombo and Nuwara Eliya during the British colonial era, it was mainly due to the popularity of Nuwara Eliya as a holiday destination.
Building the first railway track from Kandy to Colombo
When the planters wanted to send their goods to Colombo from Kandy in early 18s, the 100 miles journey from Colombo to Kandy, any combination of elephant, horse, bullock cart and rickshaw took seven bone-rattling days. The first railway line of Sri Lanka was opened in 1864 between Colombo and Kandy and later the railway line was further extended to Nuwara Eliya.Most carriages of the upcountry train are fully packed with local travellers as well as foreigners. A large number of foreign travellers opts to travel by train from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya and vice-a-versa during their Sri Lanka trip in order to enjoy the beautiful scenery in the mountains. Therefore don’t be surprised to see a large number of foreigners on the train in some cases the number of foreigners surpasses the number of local passengers.
Kandy to Ella uphill sluggish train journey
Despite the distance from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya merely 60 miles it takes around 4 hours for the sluggish climb of the train from Kandy to Colombo, which start at 500 meters above sea level and ends at 1800 meters above sea level. The rail journey if flanked by hills on one side at any time of the journey and railway line is flanked on both sides on many occasions.Sitting by the open window is the best and safe way to capture the beautiful scenery, enjoying the cool breeze and enjoy the smell of fresh tea as the locomotive chugs uphill. The average speed of the train on this stretch would be around 10 km per hour in some places.
What is the duration of the train journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya?
The duration of the train journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya is 5 hours
Building the railway track on this route was an extraordinary feat of engineering, with 2 dozens of tunnels, a dozen bridges, around 4 dozens of curves. The railway line climbs up to 1300 meters from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya within the distance of 60 miles, and the train journey takes around 5 hours, passing a dozen stations.Immediately after Kandy, the railway starts to cut through the mountains in a series of tunnels, the longest tunnel is around 500 meters long. Most of the work of the railway track carried out under the purview of British engineers and labour was provided by the local people.
What to see in Nuwara Eliya
- Tea factories
- waterfalls
- Gregory lake
- Galway bird sanctuary
- Seetha Amman temple
- Haggala botanical garden
- Victoria park
A large portion of the city came to be in the recent past and British built Theodor styled comfy mansions rise above the station to Observatory hills. It is topped with the summer residence of the governor, who was appointed by the queen of British to govern the administrative tasks of the island.
It was open only to the high rank British colonial officers during the British rule and it is worth to take a closer look into the mansion. The Theodor styled mansion is mainly built out of local wood and granite stones. It was built after the design of British engineers and meant to remind his native home and impress visiting dignitaries.
After the independence in 1948, the ownership was passed to a local family and now it is converted to a luxurious hotel. The visitors are allowed to see the grandeur of the mansion and visit Restaurant, pub, coffee lounge and teak panelled main hall, the visitors can also visit a few rooms if unoccupied rooms are available.
There are several major attractions along the main road such as Victoria Park, Gregory Lake, racecourse, Golf club. Most of these places are recently restored and now part of the major tourist attractions in Nuwara Eliya. The city draws a large number of tourists during the “Salalihini wasanthaya”, which is the main holiday season of Nuwara Eliya, falls parallel to the school holidays on the island in April.
A large number of Colonial buildings line up along the main road between the city and the lake are converted tourist hotels due to the increasing demand for lodging due to the increasing number of holidaymakers in the city.
Day 3- Sri Lanka train journey -Nuwara Eliya to Ella
It is recommended to start your train journey from Nuwara Eliya to Ella with the earliest possible train that you can catch. The train journey from Nuwara Eliya to Ella does not last more than 2 hours but you need a lot of time for the type activities available in Ella.The journey from Nuwara Eliya to Ella is much faster than the journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, due to the fact that it takes place on a flat surface. Ella is one of the major tourist resting areas in the mountains with a large number of foreign travellers opts to anchor in the city.
The majority of travellers choose Ella due to its calm and serene atmosphere with overwhelming natural forest cover that allows them to have a peaceful and restful holiday with plenty of nature. Ella is also the adventure playground in the mountains with a large number of places for trekking, mountain climbing, rock climbing, and caving.
What to see and o in Ella?
- Trekking
- Hiking
- Visiting waterfalls
- Visiting Horton plain national park
Day 4- Sri Lanka train journey -Ella to Colombo
The journey from Ella to Colombo takes place on the winding road in an air-conditioned vehicle, before boarding the flight back to your home country. Most travellers say that this train journey is very enjoyable and surprisingly relaxed. The tour is pre-planned by the serendipity tours and everything is sorted out on behalf of the travellers, making it more relaxed and takes away the most of the strain.Sri Lanka is upgrading its infrastructure to accelerate the economic development and improving the railway track is part of the plan, under the new development plan, the government is planning to build a much faster railway track in the island, in this context it may be that one day those speed train will arrive in Sri Lanka. However, it is these slow trains make the journey between Nuwara Eliya and Kandy attractive and let’s hope this railway remains the same in the future.
srilanka, travell, train
Comment: 0